MTV launches a sister station, VH1, with a more classic rock sound targeted at an older age group. The first Rock In Rio concert is held and draws an audience of 1.5 million fans. 40 artists gather to record "We Are The World" for African famine relief. The Live Aid concert for famine relief is held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia and broadcast live worldwide. The first annual Farm Aid benefit concert is held to benefit American Farmers. The Parents Music Resource Center holds hearings in Washington DC on music / lyric censorship.

Top 40 Singles of 1985

Worldwide:

1 USA For Africa - We Are the World

2 A-Ha - Take On Me

3 Foreigner

I Want to Know What Love Is

4 Band Aid

Do They Know It's Christmas?

5 Tears For Fears - Shout

6 Lionel Richie - Say You, Say Me

7 Dire Straits - Money For Nothing

8 Tears For Fears

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

9 Madonna - Crazy For You

10 Madonna - Into the Groove

11 Paul Hardcastle - 19

12 Duran Duran - A View to a Kill

13 Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok

14 Simple Minds

Don't You (Forget About Me)

15 Huey Lewis & The News

The Power of Love

16 Tina Turner

We Don't Need Another Hero

17 Jefferson Starship - We Built This City

18 Elton John - Nikita

19 Don Henley - The Boys of Summer

20 David Bowie & Mick Jagger Dancing in the Street

21 Jennifer Rush - The Power of Love

22 Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA

23 Dead Or Alive

You Spin me 'round (Like a Record)

24 Whitney Houston

Saving All My Love For You

25 Baltimora - Tarzan Boy

26 Kool & The Gang - Cherish

27 Mr Mister - Broken Wings

28 Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover

29 Madonna - Material Girl

30 Wham! - I'm Your Man

31 Phil Collins - One More Night

32 Paul Young

Every Time You Go Away

33 Philip Bailey & Phil Collins Easy Lover

34 Simple Minds - Alive & Kicking

35 Bryan Adams - Heaven

36 Opus - Live Is Life

37 John Parr - St Elmo's Fire

38 Sandra

(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena

39 Fergal Sharkey - A Good Heart

40 Wham! - Everything She Wants

Top 50 Albums of 1985

Worldwide:

1 Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

2 Phil Collins - No Jacket Required

3 Tears For Fears

Songs From The Big Chair

4 Bryan Adams - Reckless

5 Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles

6 Foreigner - Agent Provocateur

7 Sade - Promise

8 The Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight

9 Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love

10 Prince - Around The World In A Day

11 The Cure - The Head On The Door

12 John Fogerty - Centerfield

13 ZZ Top - Afterburner

14 Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time

15 A-Ha - Hunting High & Low

16 USA For Africa - We Are The World

17 Heart - Heart

18 Talking Heads - Little Creatures

19 John Cougar Mellencamp

Scarecrow

20 Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

21 Bryan Ferry - Boys & Girls

22 Soundtrack - Beverly Hills Cop

23 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

24 Simply Red - Picture Book

25 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

26 Stevie Wonder - In Square Circle

27 Billy Joel - Greatest Hits, Vol.I & ll

28 Paul Young

The Secret Of Association

29 Mick Jagger - She's The Boss

30 The Pogues

Rum, Sodomy & The Lash

31 Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

32 Iron Maiden - Live After Death

34 Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy

34 INXS - Listen Like Thieves

35 The Scorpions - World Wide Live

36 Jennifer Rush - Movin'

37 Billy Idol - Vital Idol

38 Elton John - Ice On Fire

39 Style Council - Our Favourite Shop

40 The Alan Parsons Project

Vulture Culture

41 REM - Fables Of The Reconstruction

42 Jennifer Rush - Jennifer Rush

43 Power Station - The Power Station

44 Original Soundtrack - Miami Vice

45 The Cars - The Cars' Greatest Hits

46 The Waterboys - This Is The Sea

47 The Replacements - Tim

48 Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche '85

49 Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega

50 Yello - Stella

All chart information above is from Tsort and uses a formula based on splitting the world into four regions based on sales, the USA (about 35%), other English speaking countries (about 20%), the rest of Europe (about 25%) and the rest of the world (about 20%). We feel this is the best methodology available to show the global impact of a song or album. More detailed chart info is available on the Tsort website. Actual US & UK charts are linked at the bottom of each year timeline on this site.

John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran team up with vocalist Robert Palmer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson to record as Power Station. The resulting album goes #6 US, #12 UK. (more)

Liverpool band Dead or Alive score a #1 UK, #11 US hit with the dance song "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)". (more)

Mar '85

Mar '85

Detroit siblings DeBarge score two US Top Ten hits off their fourth album for Motown - Rythym of the Night. (more)

Apr '85

Minneapolis singer songwriter Prince releases another #1 album with Around The World In A Day. With a more psychedelic sound, the album yields two US Top Ten hits. (more)

Apr '85

Dialing back the synths and cranking up the rock, brings The Eurythmics back to the Top Ten with the single "Would I Lie To You?" #5 US, #17 UK. (more)

Apr '85

Philadelphia band The Hooters release their major label debut and break into the US Top 20

with the single "And We Danced". The band receives heavy MTV rotation and later opens the Live Aid concert. (more)

May '85

Dire Straits release their fifth album Brothers In Arms, which goes #1 in the US and UK. It is the first time a CD outsells it's vinyl counterpart. The single "Money For Nothing" goes #1 US, #4 UK. (more)

May '85

Norwegian trio A-Ha release their debut album, Hunting High And Low. The single "Take On Me" would go to #1 US, #2 UK in October. (more)

May '85

After being fired from Metallica, guitarist Dave Mustaine forms Megadeth in Los Angeles. In May they release their debut album on Combat Records. (more)

Jun '85

Sting, former lead singer of The Police, releases his solo debut which goes to #2 US, featuring the single "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". (more)

Jun '85

Boston New Wave band Til Tuesday release their debut album, Voices Carry, and have a US Top Ten single with the title track. (more)

Jun '85

Soul veteran Aretha Franklin has her first million selling album with Who's Zoomin' Who. The album yields two US Top Ten singles the title track and "Freeway of Love". (more)

Jun '85

Wham! have their third US #1 hit from the album Make It Big, with the single "Everything She Wants" #2 UK. (more)

Jul '85

UK band Katrina and the Waves break into the US and UK Top Ten with "Walking on Sunshine" from their debut album. (more)

Jul '85

Vancouver, Canada band Heart release their ninth album and their only album to hit #1 US, #19 UK. They also score a US #1 single with "These Dreams" in Mar '86. (more)

Jul '85

The Live Aid Concerts occur simultaneously in London and Philadelphia to raise money for African famine relief. The event